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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bore — to drill
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bore — to tire
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. face — to confront
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com